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2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata firsthand impressions and notebook scribblings

In a temporarily repurposed airport hanger in Monterey, CA, the world caught its first glimpse of the 2016 Mazda MX-5 Miata tonight, and I was fortunate enough to attend in person along with my fellow auto media colleagues, Mazda execs, a couple hundred Miata devotees and, oddly, a fair number of Duran Duran fans. The klieg lights have dimmed, Simon Le Bon is no longer ringing in my ears, and I'm left to ponder what I've seen. I've scavenged my notes - and my Twitter feed - to give you some details and brief thoughts.
Fair Warning: I can't claim to be completely impartial (I own a second-generation NB and consider the Miata franchise to be one of but a few sacrosanct franchises in modern motoring), but I will share my honest first impressions of the new car, both good and bad.
Here are my notes:

Feds investigating Mazda CX-9 over suspension problems

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is opening a preliminary evaluation into the 2007-2008 Mazda CX-9 because the lower ball joint in the front suspension can potentially separate while driving. An estimated 54,000 examples of the crossover might be affected. The investigation was prompted by six complaints of this happening on the road. Because the complaints are coming more rapidly as of late, NHTSA thinks the issue could be getting worse. The problem also appears to be more prevalent in states that use salt on their roads in the winter. None of the failures caused any injuries, and all but one happened at 20 miles per hour or slower. NHTSA's preliminary evaluations "assess the scope, frequency, and safety consequence" of a potential problem and can sometimes lead to recalls. Related Video: INVESTIGATION Subject : Front Suspension Ball Joint Separation Date Investigation Opened: JUN 09, 2015 Date Investigation Closed: Open NHTSA Action Number: PE15022 Component(s): SUSPENSION All Products Associated with this Investigation close Vehicle Make Model Model Year(s) MAZDA CX-9 2007-2008 Details Manufacturer: Mazda Motor Corp. SUMMARY: The Office of Defects Investigation (ODI) has received six (6) complaints (VOQs) alleging incidents of front suspension LBJ separation in MY 2007 through 2008 Mazda CX-9 vehicles. The reports appear to show an increasing trend. One of the separations allegedly occurred at 40 mph and the other 5 incidents occurred at speeds between 0 and 20 mph. The first VOQ was received in October 2013, followed by 2 reports in late 2014 and 3 reports in the first 5 months of 2015. Four of the VOQs are from states using high volumes of road salts (?salt states?) which, for purposes of this investigation, include: Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The other VOQs were from northern Virginia, which borders the ?salt state? region, and South Carolina. ODI also identified EWR field report data related to the alleged defect in the subject vehicles. A preliminary investigation is being opened to assess the scope, frequency, and safety consequence of the alleged defect. The six VOQs associated with this investigation are: 10717510, 10714469, 10695142, 10668978, 10640541, and 10546535.

Mazda CX-5 getting mild refresh

Mazda has found both critical and commercial success with its CX-5 small crossover, and seems to be endeavoring to keep the momentum up with an upcoming refresh. As you can extrapolate from the obvious lack of the usual camouflage, the company isn't reinventing anything in the very near future of the CX-5, but it does seem as thought some tweaks are in the works.
Lighting elements fore and aft appear to have gone under the knife, with the front grille and rear fascia also seemingly to be slightly revised. The side mirrors now look slicker and slightly more upscale with their integrated turn signals, as well.
In all, expect a look that's a touch fresher, without being a radical departure from the existing visage.